Pineapple Quinoa Salad
When I'm trying to eat healthy I eat a lot of salads. But for a sweet toother like me, salads can get very boring very quickly. This Pineapple Quinoa Salad is not your usual salad and will spark your interest again! I promise. It's so good. It's got protein (due to the quinoa), it's got fruit, and it's got spicy (jalapeños) ... yum!
Make sure to mellow out the red onion by soaking it in the dressing before serving. Otherwise it will overpower the salad. And the jalapeño or how much is up to you! But I definitely recommend it or something similar. The heat adds another yummy layer to this "treat!"
P.S. How pretty does this look? And it tastes just as good as it looks. I love it when that happens. Warning: you are going to eat this for lunch for a week straight. That's what happened to me. You won't be able to get enough!
Happy Un-boring Salad!
Pineapple Quinoa Salad
makes 6
Love this and it looks beautiful!! Great for the summertime... To make it simple, just use regular quinoa and it tastes just as good!!
- 1/4 cup white-wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
- 1/2 - 1 jalapeño or small hot chili pepper, sliced
- 1/2 red onion, sliced
- 1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and sliced
- 1/4 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 cup sprouted quinoa (see below)
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
In a small bowl, whisk vinegar and oil. Season with salt. Add chili and onion and toss. Let stand 10 minutes.
Arrange pineapple on a platter. Top with cashews, sprouted quinoa, and mint. Drizzle with chili-onion mixture.
Cook's Note:
Sprouting your grains may make them easier to digest and increase their nutritional benefits.
To sprout your own quinoa, place 1/4 cup quinoa in a mason jar and cover top with cheesecloth. Secure with metal ring or rubber bands. Fill jar with water and let quinoa soak overnight. Drain. Rinse quinoa with water and drain twice a day for up to 2 days, until roots are about 1/2-inch long. (Quinoa should not dry out completely.) Once sprouted, rinse thoroughly and use immediately or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Makes 1/2 cup sprouted quinoa.
Recipe Source Whole Living.
